Leica service vs Nikon service

[Huss]

When I sent my Leica M-E in for sensor check/replacement, it took 4 months with no communication until it suddenly showed up repaired, even though Leica NJ mentioned it was on parts back order.

In contrast, here is my recent experience with Nikon service. And this is the regular customer service, not NPS. Background - there is a shutter recall on the D750 and mine was affected. How did I know? Nikon's website has a tool that lets you enter your serial #, and if your camera is affected you can print the service ticket AND a postage paid UPS shipping label.


"Dear Nikon Photo Service Customer:

We have received your D750 FX-FORMAT DIGITAL SLR CAMERA BODY and entered it into our system as
service order number (redacted) .

If your service order indicates the product is covered under the terms
of the warranty, no further action is necessary. If your product is not
covered by the warranty, you will need to approve the attached estimate.
Non-warranty service requires approval before we can begin work. To
view the service status or approve a service estimate, please enter our
service website through the following link www.nikonusa.com/service . Please be aware a
this data has just been entered, it takes up to 30 minutes after you
receive this email for it to be viewable on our website. To view your
service details, please use your service order number (redacted) and your
"Bill-to" name (redacted) to log-in. Your "Bill-to" name is
usually your last name and it needs to be input exactly as it appears on
our attached document including punctuation and any spaces.

We are also mailing you a printed copy of this acknowledgement/estimate.
If you approve an estimate via the service website before you receive
this mailing, it will not show the most current status. Our website
shows the most current status.

While your equipment is being serviced, our website status will indicate
"Shop." When service is completed, the status will indicate "Shpd".
This means the order has been invoiced and shipped. If you have already
arranged to pick up this product from one of our service counters, we
will contact you when the order is ready for pick-up. We complete all
service as fast as possible.

Should you require any assistance with this service, you may email us
through our service website at www.nikonusa.com/service or call us at (800) 645-6687. We
look forward to returning your equipment quickly and in good working
order. We appreciate your business.



Sincerely,


Nikon Photo Service Department"

I have been told that turn around should be a week. Current turnaround for Leica M9 repairs is 36 weeks. This is why I will not buy a new digital Leica again. Once bitten and all that..

 

[splitimageview]

Leica has had a serious problem with service for years, with no sign they have any interest in improving things, let alone perfecting them with a decent online system.

I'm with you, I will never buy a Leica digital, new or used, for this reason.

 

[Ronald M]

APS is authorized Nikon service 15 mi from my home. Used to be regional Nikon service. 1 week turnaround. Work done correctly

Leica should not even call theirs service as it gives service a bad name. Been that way since my first 1980. Slow slow and slow and 50% rerepair. What can you say when a camera was sent in for line read out repair and M8 comes back with M9 finder lines. Lots of heads got cut off before we figured out what was wrong. That camera was sent back twice to correct errors. I was not the owner, but my issues are the same.

 

[Chris101]

Hey Huss, you redacted your service order number in the first paragraph, but show it in full in the second. Not sure what the effect of showing your order number is though.

As to the content of your post, right on! I have always been pleased with Nikon's service, but have never had a chance to use Leica service. When my previous Leica film camera needed service, I took it to Tempe Camera Repair, and it was fixed while I waited.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

While Toronto claimed to be fourth larger city in NA, yet, nothing official from Leica. And no Leica Canada service. Even if Ontario saved Leica from diminishing once.
What a shaizer, sorry, shame. Even something as tiny as Sigma has official service here.
http://www.sigmacanada.ca/contact-us/


I'm not Nikonian, but Canon has huge new just open building nearby and walk-in, progress report on-line service. Not to mention selling OEM parts for all who wants to buy them.

 

[kshapero]

Same experience. Sent in Leica repair, took 4 months, sent in Nikon repair. Took 2 weeks start to finish. One note though, my Leica dealer lent me a Leica MP for the whole 4 months while waiting.

 

[Huss]

One note though, my Leica dealer lent me a Leica MP for the whole 4 months while waiting.

Even though the camera that I paid $5500 for was just 4 months into its warranty, I was told no loaners. Your experience - while good for you -
reflects the lack of consistency in service.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have filed for a refund through my credit card.

I've been reading that quite a few M10s have had issues with their ISO knobs. I wonder what the turn around time on that repair is.

 

[kshapero]

Even though the camera that I paid $5500 for was just 4 months into its warranty, I was told no loaners. Your experience - while good for you -
reflects the lack of consistency in service.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have filed for a refund through my credit card.

I've been reading that quite a few M10s have had issues with their ISO knobs. I wonder what the turn around time on that repair is.

Hey I was just lucky.

 

[Godfrey]

When I sent my 1978 Nikon FM in to Nikon for a cleaning and a new top plate in 1997, it was returned to me untouched: "We no longer stock parts or service the Nikon FM body."

When I sent my 1970 Leicaflex SL to Leica for a cleaning and new shutter curtains in 2013, it was returned to me cleaned and new shutter curtains installed, with the note: "We are happy to service your Leicaflex SL but can no longer guarantee that new parts can be obtained, should it need any. Thank you for your business."

The only service I ever needed for my Leica M9 was to replace the sensor that had a few spots of corrosion. I elected to trade the M9 for an M-P; the transaction was complete in three weeks. My Nikon D750 went to Nikon twice, away each time for two weeks. I sold the D750.

G

"Equipment is transitory. Photographs endure."

 

[PKR]

When I sent my Leica M-E in for sensor check/replacement, it took 4 months with no communication until it suddenly showed up repaired, even though Leica NJ mentioned it was on parts back order.

In contrast, here is my recent experience with Nikon service. And this is the regular customer service, not NPS. Background - there is a shutter recall on the D750 and mine was affected. How did I know? Nikon's website has a tool that lets you enter your serial #, and if your camera is affected you can print the service ticket AND a postage paid UPS shipping label.

SNIP

I have been told that turn around should be a week. Current turnaround for Leica M9 repairs is 36 weeks. This is why I will not buy a new digital Leica again. Once bitten and all that..

Nikon pro service, NPS, is the reason many of us are loyal to Nikon. If you have trouble with a camera or lens, a loner is shipped fed x within 24 hours. You keep the loner until your item is fixed and returned to you. The repair turn around is days most tines, not weeks. I used Leica film gear, having a local repairman do all the servicing. My guy retired and the current, very good - but not so local guy, is swamped. He often works nights and weekends. I wouldn't dream of using any Leica digital products, even if they were price competitive. Fuji has filled that space for many of us. It's what Leica wanted and it's what they got.

Edit: I'll add this, as it may be helpful. I use Nikon F3 HPs for most of my film work. I have 4 bodies, 3 complete with finders and one like new parts camera. None of them has needed parts from the "parts camera" in the 5 years I've had it. It was a Junker with electrical issues. I normally use 1 or 2 bodies. I rotate them. If one needs service, I still have 2 working. None have required anything but a yearly CLA in the years I've owned them. They are primarily used for B&W and aren't mounted to MD4s. The motor drives are rough on the drive train. Nikon made a lot of F3s, so if a major repair is needed, I'll likely hunt a clean used one down, rather than pay for an extensive repair.

 

[mich rassena]

Is it really too much to expect white-glove service from a brand that positions itself as the crème-dela-crème of camera makers and has a price to match?

 

[Huss]

The only service I ever needed for my Leica M9 was to replace the sensor that had a few spots of corrosion. I elected to trade the M9 for an M-P; the transaction was complete in three weeks. My Nikon D750 went to Nikon twice, away each time for two weeks. I sold the D750.

G

"Equipment is transitory. Photographs endure."

So you skipped the 4 month wait (which is now 8 months) by trading cameras. Waiting 3 weeks. And paying $2000.

I'm feeling better all the time with my 1 week turn around.

 

[airfrogusmc]

I had Canons for YEARS and was a CPS member. CPS just so happen to have a location in suburban Chicago (Itasca) so I got used to the being able to call on a Monday and have loaner equipment waiting for me on say Wednesday. So I would drop my cameras/lenses off for repair and I would have loaner equipment while my cameras/lenses were being repaired which was usually only a couple of days if they didn't have to order parts.

Leica was a shock to the system but it is what it is. I love my Leica's. If it's nothing to serious there are a couple of places in Chicago. If it's a lens or not something digital DAG is GREAT. I have 3 color digital Ms M-E, M 262 and M 10 so if one goes down I still have back up. There MM is now back at New Jersey and I was told is waiting for a sensor to come in. It's been over a month now and will probably be several more. It is what it is....

 

[rscheffler]

FWIW, shortly after Leica announced the end of the perpetually free sensor upgrade program, when one would think quite a few holdouts (like me) would finally send in their M9 before it was too late for the free replacement, I sent mine in. It was mid-May. Like you, I received extremely minimal status updates from Leica. Just a confirmation of receipt. Two months later, I received a second email with the UPS tracking number and the camera arrived the next day, sensor replaced (as far as I can gather from the relatively vague descriptions in the service report and my subsequent test images). Rather than 36 weeks, *only* about 8.

That said, 8 weeks is still glacially slow compared to the service I receive from Canon Canada as a CPS member: immediate loaners and typically less than a week turnaround. They've shipped loaners across the country to me to keep me working until I could return to drop off my equipment for servicing. I love shooting Leica M but professional support is woefully lacking. Rather than a fully redundant M system, I shoot a hybrid Canon DSLR and Leica M system in order to address a broader range of applications.

While Toronto claimed to be fourth larger city in NA, yet, nothing official from Leica. And no Leica Canada service. Even if Ontario saved Leica from diminishing once.
What a shaizer, sorry, shame. Even something as tiny as Sigma has official service here.
http://www.sigmacanada.ca/contact-us/

I'm not Nikonian, but Canon has huge new just open building nearby and walk-in, progress report on-line service. Not to mention selling OEM parts for all who wants to buy them.

I would wager there is far more current Sigma product in circulation in Canada than there is Leica. That said, unlike Canon and Nikon where the Canadian offices are company subsidiaries, Sigma is represented in Canada by Gentec. In reality that probably makes little difference if Gentec is able to provide competent service and support.

The new Canon building is quite nice. I was fortunate to have a tour of their impressive service area (and a peek into the rest of the building) during its grand opening last year.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

FWIW, shortly after Leica announced the end of the perpetually free sensor upgrade program, when one would think quite a few holdouts (like me) would finally send in their M9 before it was too late for the free replacement, I sent mine in. It was mid-May. Like you, I received extremely minimal status updates from Leica. Just a confirmation of receipt. Two months later, I received a second email with the UPS tracking number and the camera arrived the next day, sensor replaced (as far as I can gather from the relatively vague descriptions in the service report and my subsequent test images). Rather than 36 weeks, *only* about 8.

That said, 8 weeks is still glacially slow compared to the service I receive from Canon Canada as a CPS member: immediate loaners and typically less than a week turnaround. They've shipped loaners across the country to me to keep me working until I could return to drop off my equipment for servicing. I love shooting Leica M but professional support is woefully lacking. Rather than a fully redundant M system, I shoot a hybrid Canon DSLR and Leica M system in order to address a broader range of applications.



I would wager there is far more current Sigma product in circulation in Canada than there is Leica. That said, unlike Canon and Nikon where the Canadian offices are company subsidiaries, Sigma is represented in Canada by Gentec. In reality that probably makes little difference if Gentec is able to provide competent service and support.

The new Canon building is quite nice. I was fortunate to have a tour of their impressive service area (and a peek into the rest of the building) during its grand opening last year.

Thanks for update on dealing with Leica NJ on sensor issue from here. I have 2015 made M-E...

As of third company representing and running service locally, it is very common practice. Sony Canada is actually not Sony like Sony Sony in Russia or in UK.

I have seen Leica in local stores. And I have seen more digital Leica cameras users what Sigma camera users here. But Sigma is not my brand of choice for lenses and cameras. I might be wrong on Sigma spread in Canada. I think Sigma is much more present in lenses here. For DSLRs.

But still Leica is wrong to keep on treating us as wild place with ex-factory in Midland. Here is Broadway camera in Richmond BC and Camtec photo in QC already, why not give them service status....